Conventional zippers are used on a wide variety of articles to quickly and easily attach and detach two pieces of material such as fabrics, plastics, leather, synthetics, blends, and like materials. Conventional zippers have proved satisfactory in many applications where ready attachment and detachment is the only or primary objective, however, in some applications it is also highly desirable to provide a mechanism for locking the zipper in a closed position for security purposes.
One such application is the commercial display of articles such as comforters, quilts, blankets, linens, pillows, drapery, and the like. These articles are typically packaged in generally clear, lightweight plastic enclosures for shipping and sanitary purposes. The articles are commonly displayed in the clear enclosures to provide for visual inspection of the article contained therein by the potential customer and to also maintain the cleanliness of the article.
The use of conventional zippers in such applications provides the limited benefit of providing for ready opening and closing of the enclosure to access the article contained therein. In making a purchasing decision, potential customers often desire to touch as well as to view the article, especially comforters, linen, and other more "intimate" articles that often contact a person's skin. With conventional zippers, the potential customer can easily unzip and open the enclosure and reach therein to feel the article. However, potential customers sometimes will open the enclosure and remove the article therefrom, which can result in the article becoming dirty and unsanitary from handling, contacting the floor, and/or like contaminants. This is particularly undesirable for such "intimate articles" as discussed above.
Furthermore, there are an increasing number of instances where potential customers insert additional articles into the enclosures with such additional articles concealed to avoid paying for them. Potential customers have also inserted higher cost articles into enclosures from which they removed lower cost articles with pricing information provided on the enclosures to pay the lower price for the higher priced article.
In order to secure the articles within the enclosures, nylon cable straps are sometimes used to secure the zipper head or heads in the closed position. Such cables comprise a strap with a male end that is inserted through conventional zipper head apertures and looped back to be received by the opposite female end of the same strap. Such known cable straps require the use a cable gun to install the straps. Additionally, it is known to secure the zipper head apertures together by the use of tie straps made of a material such as metal wire, plastic, or the like. These known techniques provide the benefit of locking the zipper closed to prevent removal of the article from the enclosure, however, they also preclude the prospective customer from being able to touch the article to evaluate its softness, durability, quality of construction, and the like.
Accordingly, what is needed but not found in the prior art is a device which permits locking of a zipper on an enclosure to prevent access and/or removal of the article contained therein, that also permits limited access to the article for inspection thereof.